Number Ten
by Govnuh
Summary: Medic has gone beyond the boundaries of medicine and created a whole new mercenary to help the team. (I have no ending worked out and it's more of a slice of life sort of thing. M for language and content.)
1. That Was Not Medicine

"Uhhhh don't you eggheads think that's a bit-"

"Spectacular? Ja!"

Seven Red mercenaries stood looking in disbelief. Their Medic each a hand on either shoulder of his presentation, wearing a smile on his face.

"Ya'll look like you just seen a ghost," Engi laughed. He walked over beside Medic. Though for all they knew, they could have been looking at a ghost.

What stood before them was a girl several inches shorter than the previously shortest person in the room. Her hair consisted of uneven rows of snow-white and jet-black with a fringe that somewhat concealed the right half of her face. Her eyes were oddly colored, the left being blue and the right red. Her attire consisted of a skin-tight black body suit that ended just at her thighs. Her red thigh socks led down to a pair of strong leather combat boots that resembled those of the present party. A thin pair of glasses sat comfortably on her nose; a long red scarf draped down her back; and her hands were covered with red gloves with the fingers cut off. She examined her surroundings and spectators with wonder and smiles.

"Shoot doc, didn't figure today'd be the day. So this is what you were working on the whole time? Gotta tell ya, I'm impressed." Engineer slapped Medic on the back.

"Oooh hoo hoo! She is most certainly ready for interaction and I just couldn't vait any longer! Everyone, zis is mein greatest achievement yet! Be very nice and set a good example, ja?"

He whispered into her ear, "Go on, don't be shy," and gave her a nudge forward.

"Ah- yes vati!" She waved to her new peers. "Hello! I um... I'm two years old and I'm brand new!"

Their expressions turned even more surprised.

"Ooohahahaaaa! Ah shite, I get it! This is a dream, I've had one too many again and I'm dreamin'. See you lads in the mornin'!" The Demoman about-faced and left to his own room. No one bothered to stop him.

"Dummkopfs, allow me to explain. Vith ze help of Engineer I vas able to manufacture a real human being to bolster our numbers! Strictly speaking, it is true. She has existed for two years. However, vhen I began ze creation process, I vas able to synthesize a fully matured body ready for combat. So, theoretically speaking, she is just about as old as Herr Scout, if not just a bit older." He placed a hand on her head. "Zis hair color is simply a mutation in her genes, ze same goes for ze eyes. Mein tests have shown zem to hold no significance in her development. I have raised her as I vould have a daughter, but her reason for existence is to assist in battle. I have not given her a name and I have no idea vhat she is capable of, but time vill most certainly reveal all."

Medic's long explanation could have put them to sleep, like they always do. Instead of going on, he turned and disappeared inside his lab after nodding to Engi, then the rest of them.

[There was more to this but I decided to leave it here and see the feedback I get.]  
[Edit- I changed up her hair color to fit a plot.]


	2. Better Than a Little Girl

"...So dat's it?" Scout said. "Dat's what he brought us all here for?" He shrugged. "Well at least I'm not getting cut open again." He examined the girl before him and laughed, "She's flat as a pancake! Yo Engi you sure dat's a chick?"

"Now son let's not ruin our only shot at a first impression. Doc prob'ly made her like that for a reason." He turned and smiled at her. "Go on, git."

She nodded and turned to address them once more, but the only ones left after Medic's long-winded speech were Scout, Pyro, and Soldier. Though after Engi finished his thought, Scout had seemed to lose interest as well and left.

Soldier approached her and gave her a stiff salute. She quickly mimicked his motion.

"I like me some fresh meat. I'm gonna turn you into the best damn whatever you are there is. At ease, private." Soldier withdrew his salute and marched out of the room. Her fast response to him was thanks to Medic briefly describing each of the men while he was in his two-year process of educating her.

Pyro seemed to be waiting his turn but could no longer contain his curiosity. He began examining her, as though a dog would examine a new pet the family brought home. It took no time for him to make up his mind.

"Hmmmu!" He wrapped his arms around her tightly and picked her up, spinning around just once and letting her down again. Engineer was a bit shocked at first but only laughed.

"Don't mind Pyro, he's a real mystery 'round here but he's real friendly. Others don't seem to think so, though. Heheh, you'll be just fine. 'Fyou need anythin' just visit me, y'hear?" He patted her head and left as well. He built the machinery used to make her, but didn't contribute any further as Medic had taken over completely. He was just as much a stranger to her as the rest of them.

"Hmmf mmm!" Pyro held her hand and led her elsewhere. She glanced back at the doors to Medic's lab, weary of being away from where she spent her life up until now. Though she felt excited and happy with her new friend so she obliged. Pyro whisked her around the base. When they approached someone's room, he made funny gestures exaggerating their individual mannerisms, which had them both laughing. After a while, he stopped leading her places and used her own hands to cover her eyes. All she could perceive was quick footsteps becoming quieter and quieter until she could hear nothing. When the silence came, she opened her eyes, and her new friend was nowhere to be seen.

"Huh, where'd he go?" While still unfamiliar with the Red base, she ventured forth to find him. The place seemed bigger, but maybe that's because she was now walking instead of running. Through a corridor she caught beams of light she'd never seen before. She followed it until she'd reached outside the building. All around was blue on top and green on earth.

"Is that... the sun? This must be outside!" She inhaled deeply, loving the atmosphere she found herself in. There were so many sights and sounds she wanted to discover. And smells. Smells... it smelled... awful. What was this? She began coughing, sincerely hoping this wasn't the default odor of the outside world.

"Is that how you greet your new world, mon cher?"

She turned around to see a masked man in a suit standing behind her, a stream of smoke wafting from something in his hand.

"You're... Spy. Right?"

"I see the doctor did not fail in teaching your bare basics. So tell me, what do you think is the place of such a petite fille such as yourself in a place like this?"

"Peti- what? Well I'm here to fight, silly." She turned away from him. "I've never fought, I only beat up the dummies vati brings in for me. I don't even-"

An arm swiftly grasped her neck. She heard a metallic noise above her head.

"This is not a playground. Nor will there be any 'dummies to beat up.'" His last four words inflected into mocking. "Look at you, you cannot even defend yourself against a teammate. How do you expect to be ready for real combat should it ever penetrate our defenses? If the doctor wanted to create a mercenary, he should have raised his standards."

He released her and withdrew his knife. "You will cause nothing but trouble, pe- little girl. On and off the battlefield."

She rubbed her neck to ease the soreness. She then smiled and raised a fist. "You're wrong. I'll show you, I'm going to be way better than you! You'll be the petite fille, you'll see."

"I haven't seen that much fire since that bumbling Scout arrived. Tell me then, what drives your passion?" Spy moved closer.

"I don't know. Besides, who cares? If vati asks me, I'll do it," she replied confidently.

"I see... well then," he began, leaning close enough for their noses to touch, "I am looking forward to being a petite fille, honhonhon." Before she could interject, his entire being faded from vision, and the air smelled lovely once more.

Suddenly, from out of a corner that was in her blind spot upon exiting the building, Pyro jumped out at her. "Hudda hudda huh!" Her startled shriek made him jump back in surprise as well. They laughed and Pyro and picked her up in a bear hug, carrying her back inside. She didn't mind being carried at all, and while she couldn't understand a bit of what he could say, they conversed all the way back. However, her mind was pinned with a single thought.

_If I exist to fight, that is what I will do. No more, no less._


	3. How do I Shot Guns?

"Come on vati you know I've been training for the past forever! Please let me come with you!"

"Nein, it's hardly been three veeks since I unveiled you, you are not ready yet. Vhile I don't like ze idea of leaving you here vith Herr Scout and Demo, you should be just fine vis my good friend. Now no more begging, ve must leave now!" Medic gave her a peck on the forehead from inside the team's van, their primary mode of transportation.

"Hmph, I'll just go shoot things or something," she pouted as half the team drove away. Coming into the recreational area of the huge building she was still familiarizing herself with, Scout, Demo, and Sniper were all sitting around a table.

"Yo Numba Ten, you do cards?" Scout called out. He figured he might as well call her something while she had yet to discover her talent.

"Cards? Yeah, I'll play. Not like I have anything else to do around here." She approached and sat in the empty chair furthest from anyone else.

"Alright alright, now we're talkin'! And hey, why don't we make dis interestin'? Let's play strip poker." He looked at the present faces to ignite their approval.

"Oh that Scoot's a crafty one he is! Alraight, let's get this show on the rood!" Demo took a swig of whatever was in his dark brown bottle and slammed it back down on the table, picking up every card on the table and skillfully shuffling them. Sniper grunted an approval. Scout gave her an ambiguous description of the rules and way they play, and the cards were dealt. Having never played before, Ten lost the first hand quickly. She removed her scarf. The game went on, and she lost the next two hands. She dropped her gloves and boots. The next round was long as she was getting the hang of it, but ultimately lost and removed her socks.

"I fold. You blokes 'ave fun with your game." Sniper laid down his cards and left the room.

"C'mon Snipe, you're gonna miss the best part!"

"Gettin' a little too heated for yer boots? Haaaahahaaa! Kitchen too hot for ye?"

The two remaining men shrugged it off and continued the game. Ten was determined to win the next hand, imagining them both as Spy, planning her gloat if she won. The victory went to Demo. As Ten shrugged, they leaned in closely, wide-eyed and curious as though to say _is she really about to do that?_ As the first _zip _broke the silence, the pair of double doors behind them swung open.

Heavy walked through, sandwich in hand. "Comrades, half of team is on mission, we stay behind and-"

He stopped short, taking in the sight before him. "...and be bad men? No!" He dropped his lunch, bee-lining towards Ten. He grabbed her discarded clothing and hoisted her over his shoulder, shooting a glare at the cringing pair and walking out the same door he came through. When they closed behind them, he sat her down.

"You put on clothes, stay here, I will be back." Ten did as she was told. Almost comical yelling and thrashing sounded from the rec hall. As soon as she tied her scarf back on, Heavy returned with Demo and Scout, holding them by the backs of their shirt collars. The suspended two stared at a puzzled Ten for a moment, and Heavy knocked them together.

"Ouch hey come on fat man! Damn. Sorry Ten, dat was uncalled for."

"Ye big brute. Isnae what I intended, lass. Sorry."

Heavy released them, and they went elsewhere, popping their joints and rubbing sore spots. He knelt down to talk to her.

"It is not right way to do that to woman. Was leetle man Sniper playing too?"

Ten laughed and nodded, "It's okay, he left before the last turn. I can go talk to him. I don't know what the big deal is but that was really funny." She hugged his neck. He carefully hugged back so not as to crush her, and sent her off. Ten thought it was so nice of Heavy to be protective of her, and while he wouldn't admit it, he enjoyed it as it allowed him to revisit the feeling of tending to his three younger sisters back home.

Ten skipped down the rather small hallways, passing bedrooms, bathrooms, and miscellaneous rooms. How convenient, she thought, that personal rooms had huge labels on them matching the patches on the shoulders of their gear. Those were the first things she memorized. She passed up Pyro's room, but stopped and went back to it. They play together a lot, but she had never actually been in his room before. She had no fear of him like the rest of the team, and didn't care about how mysterious he was.

"Hmm... just a peek." She reached for the doorknob.

_BANG_

The noise made her jump back. Just down the hall from her pyromaniac's room was a balcony fenced by low metal bars. She made her way outside to locate the source of the gunfire. Down below was the Sniper, tossing rocks into the air and shooting them to bits through his scope. Her jealousy sparked a bit. While she'd been practicing shooting at paper targets, her aim was rather awful. There was no way she'd be able to hit a moving target, let alone a rock flying through the air. Ten decided to mess with him. There were plenty of stray rocks sitting up on the balcony. She picked one up and called out to him, mimicking his accent the best she could.

"Oi Snipey, think fast!" She pulled back and tossed it into the air. Before she realized it, he swung around and fired. The rock barely made distance as it burst, raining bits of granite all over Ten. She froze in place and heavily gulped, realizing that rock could have been her face.

He laid down his rifle and bent over laughing, slapping his thigh. "You oughta see the look on your face mate! Better think twice before tryna pull pranks on your mate Snipa!"

Ten recovered from her shock and dusted herself off, laughing as well. "I thought I could get you, I guess I'll have to try harder. You know, you're lucky you left when you did. Big papa bear came and showed them what for it meant! It was so funny." Ten developed a habit of saying things that didn't particularly make sense, but those who spent enough time around her learned pretty quick.

"Really now? I suppose that'll happen then, ahahah!" Sniper polished his rifle. As he did so, Ten hopped over the railings and safely landed on the ground. She proudly dusted her hands off and came up to him.

"Heeey, why _did _you leave anyway?" she asked.

He shrugged. "I dunno, guess I wasn't too fond of the atmosphere."

"Weeellll, okay. Hey..." She peered around her team mate the rifle in his hand. "You don't suppose I could maybe try shooting that, do you?"

"What this old thing? Go right ahead mate. I've 'eard your shootin' sucks, so I bet that scope'll help." He tossed it to her. She gave him a Soldier's salute and held it in firing position, peering through the scope. The distance at which she could clearly see far-away things astounded her.

"Wow... this is awesome!" Instead of shooting, she continued looking through the scope. Her instant favorite things to watch became wild animals.

"...Oi, it ain't a pair of binoculars, it's a weapon. And you're not even 'oldin it right. Give 'er 'ere." He stepped close behind her. Placing each respective hand over her own, he repositioned them into proper spots for utilizing the gun. This surprised Ten, but she didn't object. Sniper knelt a bit and managed to peer through the scope as well as Ten. Neither spoke as he moved the gun, searching for a live target. Their combined stance was stable enough for her to notice his heartbeat steadily thumping against her. Her face rose in temperature and she became incredibly frustrated.

Finally a lone rabbit sat in their line of sight. It was far enough away, but Sniper spoke quietly as though it was right before them. "Steady, steadyyy... fire."

A tiny burst of hot air grazed the side of Ten's face, slightly blowing her hair forward upon the word "fire." The sensation alerted her, and her trigger finger twitched, firing the gun and instantly killing the animal.

Sniper stood upright again. "You bloody did it! See, ain't that 'ard is it now?"

Ten immediately wriggled from her mentor's grasp. Her palm sat on the side of her face. "Yeah, I sure did." Her words were slow and deliberate. She stood there wordlessly, staring at his aviators.

Sniper decided to break the silence. "Well, you gonna go get it? It's your prize."

Ten shook her head, "Ah, no! I couldn't, it's too cute, I can't see it if it's dead. I'm going to go practice by myself now. Thanks Snipey." She turned and briefly waved goodbye, running off back into the base.

"Oi, you don't expect me to clean it, do you?!" Sniper called out, but she was already gone.

"Hohohh! Ain't that just the cutest thing ya e'er did saw?!" Sniper turned to find the Demoman sitting on the balcony, bottle in hand, resting his arms on the railing and dangling his feet.

"When the bloody hell did you get 'ere?!"

"Doncha worry lad, yer secret's safe with ol' Demoman. Can't wait tae see what happens next!" He raised his bottle up, pointing to the sky. "And I bet they can't either!"

"Who the hell are you... Aahhhh piss off ye bloody drunk."


	4. Land of the Free

"_No no, please, you are winner, no more killing! Please go away!"_

"_Nice try girly man. You'd better think twice if you think begging'll work on ME. Now let me show you the REAL way to break someone's arms!"_

"_NOOOO!"_

"Oohh... then what happened?" Ten and Pyro sat on the carpet in front of the sofa. Soldier was standing up on it, one leg up on the armrest, telling one of his "war stories."

"And _then _I proceeded to break his arms while both of mine were already broken. And then I killed him with a conveniently located paper clip. When he was finally dead, he suddenly burst into a great flame, the flames of defeat!" He dramatically enacted the words "break," "paper clip," and "flame." Of course, this had Pyro cheering and clapping his hands.

Ten raised her fists up high and cheered as well. "Soldier you are just so cool! I couldn't do half as many things with a paper clip that you can! Py, you think he'll tell another?" The two friends clasped their hands together in anticipation, staring at Soldier in hopes for more.

"I would proudly. _But_ today _is _the fourth of July! And you both know what that means!"

The pair looked at each other. Pyro tilted his head at Ten and she looked up at Soldier, shrugging.

"It means we gather every American flag in this base and wave it until dawn! And we _all _tell about why we love the land of the free! Of course, I'm the only one who ever attends! It's always 'Sorry Soldier I'm too _tired,_' or 'I have a _mission_ to go on,' or 'Who _are _you? Let go of my _arms_!' Bunch of ungrateful traitors and commies, all of 'em. I expect our newest recruit to be there. Diiiismissed!"

Pyro allowed Ten to climb onto his back as he carried her away. To him, she was only a bit heavier than the gas tank for his flamethrower. She more fun to carry around since she offered more conversation than his tank.

"No one, huh? Pyro, you neither?"

"Mm-mm."

"I wonder why. I've never been to America. What's it like?"

"Mmuhh duhm hudda hum."

"Oh... I see. Well who has?"

"M-hout nn Mummaneer uhumm mer."

"Really? Wow I didn't know that! Let's go see them!"

"Hudda hudda..."

"Aw come on, Heavy finally told me where the cookies are!"

"Hmm? Muhh!"

Ten grinned, gripping her friend's flame-proof suit tightly as he sped off through the base. He sped past Scout's room, and his talking backpack called for him to stop, but he instead took them outside.

"Py, Scout's door was back there!" She pointed behind them.

Pyro set her down and pointed forward. Just a few yards away was Scout, reaching into a crate and pulling out baseballs to bat into the wilderness.

"Wooooh! Home freakin' run!"

"Oh... well uh, thanks, Py. This shouldn't take too long, I hope." Ten approached Scout. "Hey Scout!"

"Yo what's up Numba Ten? Come to learn how to bat like a pro? Or has my devilish good looks and winning personality won you ova?" He threw his arm around her, flexing his other one.

"Haha, no silly. I want to know what America is like." She removed his hand and gripped it like the greeting he'd shown her.

"Ah crap, it is the fourth again isn't it? I bet that lunatic Soldier's got you eatin' up all his bunk stories. Alright, I'll tell you about America. That is, if you can beat this next homerun!"

Scout got another ball and tossed it up. A sharp _crack_ sounded from his bat as the fresh ball went flying out of sight into the sea of trees. He handed the wooden bat to Ten and tossed her a ball. She sighed a "well, here goes something." Scout chuckled a monotone laugh to himself. No one in Teufort batted better than him. Ten tossed her ball up high to allow herself time to pull the bat back to swing. In the split second the ball returned to earth, her temples pulsated, and she swung the bat almost too quick for their eyes to follow. The once-new baseball flew high in the air, well past the spot Scout's ball had landed. Ten looked at the bat, which now had a slight crack in it with splinters protruding.


	5. Home of the Explosive

Scout stood frozen, mouth agape. "Um, I'm sorry, I think I hurt your bat. Here you go." Ten had to hold his fingers open to return the bruised bat.

Disappointed, Scout hung his bat over his shoulder and held up his end. All he told her was that his home town was full of cut-throat, die-hard punks like himself. And that the only way to survive was to be fast and be strong. Of course, he'd probably never been anywhere else before becoming a mercenary. However this satisfied Ten and she thanked him, climbing back onto Pyro's back asking him to take them to the Engineer, who was in his garage at the time.

"Engi! What are you supposed to do on the fourth of July?"

"Howdy darlin'. The Fourth, huh? Well the kin all come home for a big party. We catch up, light off some fireworks, and eat the best home-made grub that ever passed your nose. Soldier got you caught up in his shenanigans?"

She nodded. "I want to throw a party for him. Engi, would you, maybe, um..."

"I see where this is goin'. Alrighty then, wacha want me to do?"

Shocked at how easy it was to get him onboard, Ten explained what Scout told her. Engi only laughed and gave her a much better explanation of his home country. Afterward, she thought to get as many other people in it as possible. For several hours, she spent the retreating daylight recruiting people or asking them for favors. By the time she had done all she could, night had fallen and the turnout wasn't quite to her liking. The only ones who agreed were Engi, Pyro, Scout, and a reluctant Sniper as he figured it wasn't important to him anyway. Still, she was determined to make it the best she could for the Soldier.

"This will just have to do... shoot, I think he's coming. Lights off!"

Surely enough, a red, white, and blue-adorned mercenary marched into the dark room.

"Trying to catch me off guard are you, commie pigs? When these lights come on you'd best prepare for an old fashioned American beating!" He braced himself and flipped the switch.

"Surprise!"

"Hudda!"

"Alright alright!"

"Hooooo wee!"

"...Yeh."

The rec room was decorated with stars in the same color as Soldier. On the table sat a feast made entirely by Engineer. A banner hung over-head reading "Fourth of July." A box of colored explosives sat next to the glass doors to a balcony. Pyro sat on the couch consuming chocolate chip cookies by the open hatch on the front of his mask. Ten approached Soldier and held out her arms, grinning nervously as if to say, "Well? Do you like it?"

Soldier's eyes scanned the room intimidatingly, almost disapproving. They widened as the realization hit him, and he let out his favorite war cry. He held up his arm in a salute. Ten thought she caught a glimpse of water trickling down his face, but couldn't really tell.

"Sons, tonight you do me and your country proud! Let the patriotism commence!"

Engineer strummed his guitar, singing country songs he knew. Soldier had Sniper by the shoulders explaining why his country was the greatest in the world. Ten and Pyro went outside to play with small fireworks like sparklers and Roman candles. Scout had a good time eating to his fill from Engineer's Southern style meal. Ten eventually couldn't keep up with her friend's stamina and went back inside to rest. By then, everyone else had begun eating, so she made herself a plate as well. Sniper, exhausted from Soldier's bragging, sat by himself on the couch while his American teammates engaged in buzzed karaoke. Ten decided to sit next to him since he looked rather lonely.

"Oi, you know I still don't wanna be 'ere," he wasted no time confessing.

"I know, I'm sorry. But no one else said yes. I wanted to say thank you for coming. It means a lot to Soldier."

"Ah sheesh... It might not be my thing but I guess you're right. I probably wouldn't have agreed to any other bloke 'round 'ere. Just bein' polite to a lady."

"Haha, if you say so." Ten sighed. "Maybe I'll go there some day. From what Engi told me it's a pretty nice place. If I did, would you guys come too?"

Sniper gave her a confused look and shrugged, "I dunno, maybe. Why don't you finish that plate you got there love, it'll get cold."  
"Huh?"

An explosion boomed outside followed by muffled laughter. Everyone went out on the balcony to find Pyro setting off the explosives Demoman agreed to make for the occasion.

"Aw hell, if we let Pyro set 'em all off there won't be any left in five minutes! That and he'll probably go overboard like he always does. C'mon ya'll!"

The group joined the sugar-rushed Pyro, lighting the assortment of pyrotechnics. Ten was happy with just sparklers and candles, Engi and Scout had a competition for the biggest and brightest explosion. Soldier convinced Sniper to shoot and burst the rockets he fired into the air. Pyro mercilessly let loose every fire-labelled item he found.

Before Ten could light another sparkler, Soldier had paused his firing and came up to her.

"Private, you done good. I am proud to deem you worthy of being called an American!"

Ten gave him a salute. "Oh, it was-"

Instead of saluting back, he wrapped his arms around her smaller frame and picked her up in a bear hug.

"Hahaha, it was nothing! Everyone had fun! Now, ack, permission to breathe?"

He dropped her back down. "Granted."


	6. He's My What?

"Papa, what does it feel like to like someone?"

The tenth mercenary lay nude on Medic's operating table for her routine inspection. Tiny sensors led from her body to a machine.

"Shh, kleine, remember ve need you to be still and calm for your inspections. But oh it is a wunderbar sing. Vhen you are near ze one you like, your heart goes aflutter und it is difficult to sink about anysing else. But you shouldn't sink about such sings kleine, you have me, ja? Hahaha! Oh I am kidding, vhy do you ask?" His concentration on the incoming data was hardly phased by his dialogue.

_Flutter, huh? _Her mind revisited the day she was allowed to use someone else's weapon. The way she felt when her sharpshooting companion said... "fire." She sure felt something that moment. She then remembered how Heavy made Scout and Demo apologize for seemingly nothing, and giggled to herself. "Oh, nothing. Just wondering. Am I almost done?"

"Ja, your scan just completed." He helped her sit up and removed the sensors from her body. She stood up, and before even dressing, tightly wrapped her arms around her creator. "Danke papa. Ich liebe dich," she said with a smile. He smiled and patted her head, hugging her with his other arm. It was times like these he took care not to be covered in blood when he touched someone. Ten put her usual outfit back on and headed out of the laboratory.

"Oh kleine, you say 'I love you' but I never even told you vhat it means, ja?" He sighed, "Oh vell, you vill see s- vhat is zis?" His attention was caught by a flashing monitor. "Nein... it can't be. Zehn, vait!"

But she was already gone.

"Gee, I wonder where he is. He isn't on the mission is he? Awwww, that would suck so much!" Ten wandered the seemingly empty halls of the base. By now she was familiar enough with her home not to get lost anymore. "Maybe vati'll know, I could ask him. Oh, oh! Engi, hey!" The team's Engineer seemed to be relaxing outside in the sun. He turned in the direction of his name and waved.

"Engi, did Sniper go on the mission with everyone else?" she asked him.

"Nah hon, today's a down day for the feller. I don't think he's even outta bed yet. Got a bone to pick?" This caught her by surprise. Usually people were barely in their rooms, and were doing something else.

"You could say so. Thanks Engi!" She made a way to the hall Sniper's room was in.

"No problemo!" he called out to her, resuming his sunbathing.

When she arrived, she was hesitant to knock, but summoned the courage and tapped the door with her knuckles. "Snipey, you here?" she called out. She heard faint movement behind the door, and it opened. "Oi, I was tryin'a catch a few more Z's. What brings you 'ere?"

"Um, Snipey, I think..." she paused for quite a while. "Think what, mate?"

"I think I like you. Will... you go on a date with me?" She looked up at him. His blue eyes were a sight she never held before. That is, before he rubbed them in disbelief. "Like, huh? Sure, I'll go along. S'more fun than what I 'ad planned. I'll take us out then. Gimme a minute, love."

The door closed and Ten's heart raced as she waited for him. Moments later he returned, wearing what must have been casual clothing, instead of his trademark uniform. He kept the hat, though. "Let's get goin'!" He took her hand and led her to his camper. He drove them to a nearby town Ten never knew existed.

"Wow, I never knew this was here. Oh, there are people, too, how exciting! What are we going to do here?" Sniper took hold of her hand. "Whatever you want. Just point it out and we're there."

Rather overwhelmed by opportunity, Ten decided to take it slow. They walked up and down sidewalks, window shopped, and sat in the local park and people-watched. Watching other people go about their day seemed to be Ten's favorite thing to do. Every now and then they'd catch people staring or whispering about them, saying things like, "Isn't that that sniper merc?" "I didn't know they had time for relationships." "Is that a dude or a girl? That's a wicked hair color." But this didn't bother either of them. Ten was having fun, but had a strange feeling of inadequacy. She looked at Sniper to confirm her feelings for him. He noticed and looked back at her. So good-looking, she thought. His eyes were a rare sight, but she preferred when he had his aviators on like today. She moved closer to him. He was so tall, so manly, so dreamy. The way he speaks and the way he acts. His kind attitude toward her despite the way he treats the others. He _must_ like her, she thought; he _has _to. She leaned herself against him.

"**Alright that's enough! I think I'm getting sick here."** Sniper jumped back, almost falling off the bench.

"Bloody hell, what was _that?!_" He stood right up, staring, shocked, at his date.

"Huh, who was that? Snipey, what's going on?" Ten looked around for the source of the oddly familiar voice. Suddenly Sniper's cell phone rang, and he almost dropped it answering it.

"Oi. … Yeh she's 'ere, we're out in town. … You're jokin'. … No? Well shit, we're on our way back now. C'mon love, we're goin' back." He took her hand and led her back to the van. She considered protesting, but was afraid to speak. What was going on? Why were they going back already? Who was it that yelled at them?

When they arrived back at the base, Medic was there waiting. As soon as Ten stepped out of Sniper's van, Medic picked her up and rushed to his lab, leaving Sniper with a swift "danke." He barred the double doors behind them and ordered her to strip immediately. She did as was told and Medic sat her back on the operating table, hooking sensors to her temples, neck, and chest. His fingers keyed in commands as his eyes darted around his monitor. After a moment, he halted the operation and gasped. "It vas just as I sought..." He mumbled.

"Papa, I already had my checkup today. What's happening, am I sick? Am I going to die?" The girl had a lack of panic in her voice despite her serious questions.

"Nein, nein." Medic sighed, placing a towel and arm around her and sitting next to her. "Kleine, zere is somesing I should have told you a long time ago."

The Medic proceeded to explain the circumstances of her birth. In his initial experiment, he wholly intended to make two mercenaries. One male, and one female. But there were... complications. On the microscopic level, the two beings were allowed to be too close to each other, and merged into one. He thought it had destroyed the experiment until it turned out the girl developed successfully. However, as the years had passed, she did not develop breasts and was stripped of the ability to reproduce. This was due to the fact that against the odds, the genetic matter of her would-be male twin had continued to develop inside her body. Her odd hair and eye colors were undoubtedly the result of co-dominant genotypes. She had not only a second conscience residing within her, but a working set of vocal cords he evidently had access to and control over.

"Vhat confounds me," Medic began, calmer than before, "is zhat ze data suggests he has been sentient for some time now. How long, I don't know." He looked directly into her eyes. "Helloooo? Is anyvone in zheeere?"

"**I guess the cat's out of the bag, eh... vati? Heh, woops." **His voice was rather deep, yet still adolescent.

Medic's enthusiasm burst. "Ooohh, so fascinating! Zis is so science-fictional! How long have you been in zhere, mein sohn?" He seemed ready to begin to analyze and document this event.

The tenth mercenary shrugged. Was it appropriate to call this being he, or she? **"I dunno, I guess always. I've always been watching my sis, but I never made myself known. I guess I thought it was for the better, seeing how I'm not supposed to exist and all."**

Before Medic spoke, the feminine voice returned. "So you're my brother? You sound so familiar, like I've seen you in dreams. I guess it's my fault you don't have a body of your own. Are you... mad at me?" **"On the contrary. You may not know me but I know everything about you. We've literally been together our whole life. I don't know what it's like to have my own body, so I can't reasonably be upset with you. I love you, sis." **Medic looked in awe at this one person who seemed to be having a conversation with themselves. The wonder was cut short as he remembered there was more to their situation than before he sidetracked into confirming the male's sentience.

"Ah, ah ah I just remembered." He held her shoulders. "I don't know vhen it started or ze reason of it, zhough I suspect it is linked to your bruder's awakening. But, it seems zhere is a small yet powerful section of your hybrid cerebrum zhat enables you to observe how somesing is utilized, zhen repeat ze process vis an even greater result. Have you ever experienced somesing like zhat?"

She rubbed her chin in thought. When did she ever do something like that?

"**Scout. He challenged her to a batting contest. It was his mistake to go first."**

"Yeah, that's right! I kind of broke his bat when I struck the ball, heh."

"So fascinating... I sink zis just might be your calling, kleine. As much as I vould love to unveil zis mystery surrounding ze two of you, I sink it might be better to leave it be. At least... for now. Have fun vis each ozher, and spare me no details of what unfolds, ja?" Medic motioned for her to dress herself. Before she left the lab, she hugged him once again.

"Because of you and Engi, **sis and even I are alive."**

"**Danke, vati."**

"Danke, vati."

Though seemingly improbable, the would-be twins spoke simultaneously; and disappeared out the door.


	7. Too Close for Comfort

There was a silence inside the Red Bread van as it rolled down the darkened road with Heavy at the wheel. In the front seat beside him was a proud Soldier who had called dibs on the seat at the end of the previous mission. The Demoman, Spy, Medic, and the starry-eyed tenth mercenary all sat in the back. Spy sat in a spot all his own, skillfully yet absent-mindedly flicking about his favorite knife like a stress reliever or toy. The Medic observed his medi-gun for flaws and malfunctions. Right next to him was the being he called not only his daughter but his son as well, who was gradually scooting closer to him as a hungover Demoman nodded out closer and closer to them. Eventually the demolitionist passed out in her lap. She rarely spoke to him, as his chronic intoxicated state made him rather unapproachable. She did, however, admire his sense of responsibility and the way he can easily lighten a room with a bit of drunken humor.

Ten, as the Scout nicknamed her, stared at the Spy across from her. Since the incident with Sniper, she found herself rather taken with some of her allies. She ignored it, though, knowing she'd be pressing her luck if she pursued anyone else. He caught her staring, and she passed it off as fascination with her stealthy ally's knife tricks. He handed it to her and smugly asked her to try it. She accepted it, and smiled as her head tingled a bit. She heard her brother laugh in her head as she began performing little tricks with the deadly blade. She tossed it in the air, and caught the blade between her index and middle fingers, and returned it to its owner. Although agitated and stunned by the display, the Spy only gave her an approving nod and smile. It seemed neither of them forgot her promise to become better than him, and she was well on her way with her new-found ability.

She leaned against the Medic and closed her eyes. She imagined what her very first mission would be like. She imagined her allies looking cool and doing what it took to retrieve this so-called intelligence. The man in her lap mumbled nonsense in his sleep, which gave the two next to him a good chuckle. By now, the Heavy and Soldier in the front were having an argument about who ate the last sandwich in the fridge.

The night before the previous, when the twins first met, they cast aside their "Number Ten" name and conceived new names. They agreed on Katze for the boy and Kaninchen for the girl, which, respectively, meant cat and rabbit in their creator's native tongue. The previous day, before asked to accompany the team on their first mission, they spent the day secluded in their new room to know one another. This room was actually intended to be Scout's. There were many hallways in the base, and certain halls held three rooms, categorized by their codenames. Demo, Engi, and Heavy's rooms were down one hall. Medic, Pyro, and Scout were supposed to be in another hall, but Medic settled himself inside a more appropriate, in his opinion, environment all his own to conduct experiments. When Scout learned his room would be right next to the Pyro's he immediately turned it down. So instead of the Sniper, Soldier, and Spy having their own hall, Scout set up in one of those rooms, so Spy ended up with his own isolated room as well, much to his delight. In the end, the only two rooms in residence on this hall were those of Pyro and the unassigned merc. Although it pleased her to be closer to her friend, several others made bets on how long she'd go without being charred.

The vehicle suddenly came to a stop, signaling the arrival of the destination. The halt cause Demo to wake up from his nap. The four hopped out and stretched their muscles. The owners of larger weapons such as Heavy's mini gun and Soldier's rocket launcher retrieved them from the back. Kanin nervously gripped her own small gun, a seemingly miniature version of Sniper's main rifle. It silently fired darts filled with the quickest-killing poison that money could obtain. Strapped to her thighs was a quick-accessible pair of four-pronged metal claws. In the pouch around her waist lied ammo and vials of poison to tip the claws with if she wished to. In her mind, she wouldn't be killing anyone, the poison would be the killer.

Now ready, the team set off for the building ahead. It seemed to have very little security measures, and according to Spy, would be easy enough even if they all went off alone. Of course, Spy went alone all the time anyways.

Kani set ahead, but Medic caught her arm. "Listen, ve don't know vhat might be in zere. If you need help or get lost, call out for me. I vill hear you no matter vhere you are. Understood?" She nodded her head. **"I'm here too. I'll watch out for us," **Kat responded to him. With that, the remaining two made way to their objective.

Inside the hostile hallways, it was dark. Very dark. So dark, the trio of Heavy, Soldier, and Demo could not see the sensory lasers they were about to pass through.

An alarm blared throughout the building. Iron fences began enclosing the halls. Kat looked upwards, realizing they were right below a slam-ready door. He pushed the Medic forward and jumped back. The door slammed down, nearly impaling the arms he shared with his sister. He strapped on the claws and struck the bars, only to be tossed back by the immediately live electricity coursing through the bars. The separated party made a swift, silent agreement to reunite at a different spot, and parted ways. The alarm and approaching rumble of footsteps put every team member off. The building was so quiet and seemingly unguarded, they all thought the mission would be smooth and easy.

Kat and Kanin hid around a corner, nervously listening to the footsteps down the adjacent hallway. Their heart skipped a beat when a single pair was approaching them. Their scarf was just in sight, and it seemed someone noticed. Kani stepped back and aimed her gun, ready for the enemy's appearance. When he came around the corner, she fired; but her shaky stance made her miss by inches. She was ready to fire again, but the man knocked her over, and she fell on her knees. She scrambled to get up as an acute pain stung her back. Kat sensed her terror and took over. He swiftly latched on the claws and pivoted, slashing the attacker's bullet-proof vest. He gave him no time to recover as he slashed once more, and again, knocking away the man's armed weapon and ripping his protective gear to shreds. With a single kick, Kat knocked him onto his back. He mounted the dazed enemy and, with a cold and rancorous look in his eyes, impaled his neck with the claws. He leaned in close to the now dead assailant. In an almost seductive tone, he whispered, **"Don't you touch my sister."**

The Spy, nearby yet hidden under his invisibility, observed with great interest what had taken place in front of him. He had considered stepping in before the tables were turned on their enemy. _Idiot, _he thought to himself. _Such a poorly aimed stab in the back wouldn't kill a child._

Multiple explosions resonated through the halls. Soldier and Demo were having a field day demolishing what stood in the path to the prized intelligence. With Heavy as the shield leading the way, it took less effort than they were using to obtain the briefcase they caused such a commotion to obtain. A voice boomed. "Intelligence stolen." This signaled every merc, wherever they were, to leave immediately and return to the van. It wasn't difficult for Medic, Spy, and Kani to find the trail of destruction left by the other group. With the doors and walls destroyed, they found their way out with ease. Kani hugged Medic upon reuniting with him and told him of what happened when they split up. Her excitement was cut short, as her consciousness faded and she fell over. This alerted the others, until she stood up again. Only now, Kat was in charge once again.

"**Doktor, we were stabbed. Can you help?" **he asked calmly.

"Bloody hell was that this lass?"

"What...?"

"Double agent!"

"Well... this is certainly intriguing."

Medic's surprise turned to terror. He picked up the wounded Kat and rushed to the van, calling for his comrades to follow suit. It was only this moment he realized he hadn't equipped them with the team's life sustain device. If they died now, they were dead for good. The team piled into the van and Medic ordered Heavy to drive as fast as safely possible. Demo asked why he couldn't just zap her with his medi-gun. He explained that it would only patch the stab wound, it couldn't reproduce blood cells. By now, Kat had also lost consciousness in their weakened state. Although he kept his gloved hand firmly against her back, blood poured down the Medic's arm.

Tonight was the second time Medic rushed back to his lab carrying his experimental mercenary. Everyone who had stayed at the base heard the commotion and followed the frantic doctor, even Pyro, curious to what was happening. Medic placed her on the table and asked his present comrades if any would be willing to donate blood for a transfusion. Any of them would have sufficed, as her blood type was AB. Heavy made no hesitation in stepping forward, and everyone left; save for curious arsonist. What happened to his friend, he wondered.

He peered through the windows of the double doors. Blood. Blood stained the floor inside the lab as well as the path taken to get there. Pyro knew very well what this was and burst through the doors. Heavy lay on a table next to his unconscious friend. She was supported by a stationary medi-gun.

"Vhat do you vant? Go, go, ve need both patients to be calm right now!" Medic tried shooing him out of the lab.

"Umhummm mm!" Pyro growled, suddenly agitated, and adamant about staying.

"Fine, just keep quiet and do not interrupt!"

He stood there, restlessly watching the red liquid transfer from the large man to the smaller girl. As the minutes went on, he inched his way toward Kani's unconscious body. Medic noticed but cared less and less as the procedure smoothly proceeded. It did unnerve Heavy, though, as he still did not trust the Pyro around his little friend. Soon enough he was standing right next to her, staring at the pale face which was slowly regaining its soft color. He carefully reached out and stroked the side of her face with a single finger on his gloved hand. The sensation brought her to a sliver of consciousness. "Py...?" But she fell right back out of it just as quick.


	8. Dirtless Deal, Dusty Dog

[Hello reader. I trust this message finds you well. I do apologize if it seems parts of chapters don't quite make sense or coincide with previous chapters or expectations, but the story _is_ a personal fantasy shared online and I'm trying to make it as awesome and coherent as I can. I don't quite put as much detail into it when I write because it feels like just too much for others to read. While I'm at it, I'm getting a tad better at drawing and I'd love to take art requests from the story. I'm also willing to publish separate chapters with a pairing or plot of reader's choice; because I sympathize with the feeling of disappointment when something in a story doesn't quite go they way you'd expect. Also it sounds fun.]

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A black gas mask almost completely filled Kani's field of vision. Her pyro-maniacal friend was leaned over the table, staring right at her. From the small window near the ceiling, it seemed midday had just come about. Kani drowsily laughed and pressed her palm against his mask, moving him aside so she could stand. With her first step forward, she wobbled and nearly fell over, until a pair of large, familiar hands caught her.

"Um hmm, humma huh," the Pyro remarked sarcastically.

"Oh shush you, I almost died, haha," Kani started. "Py, there's someone you should meet. Kat, you here?" "**Same as ever."**

Pyro made a huge "Huh?" sound and gesture. He put his mask against his friend's face, as if scanning her for alien life.

"**Hiyo, my name's Katze. I was supposed to have my own body but it didn't quite go that way. You're Pyro, right? Thanks for being so nice to my sister."**

The Pyro seemed to think it over and, much to Kani's déjà vu, picked her up, spun her once, and set her back down. She smiled, knowing he approved of her new second consciousness.

Kani's mind wandered for a bit, then she tugged at the collar of Pyro's suit. "I have to tell everyone else, too. Would you help me?" Pyro responded with a nod and "Mm-hm," turning and kneeling, offering a piggyback ride. It felt like it had been a while since she had last done it, so Kani enthusiastically climbed on. As Pyro rose, the firm grip Kani thought she had around his shoulders suddenly collapsed, and she fell onto the hard lab floor. The Pyro spun around and gently helped her up, his body language suggesting an apology.

Kani rubbed her sore backside. "Ouch... I can't even hold on to things? I wonder why I'm so weak right now. Damn it, I guess I'm not going anywhere until I can move on my own. I'm sorry Pyro. Maybe I'll just lie down for a while." She placed her hands on the hard table she'd been sleeping on just moments earlier. Before she gathered the strength to jump back onto it, her feet lifted off the floor by themselves. Along with the rest of her. Pyro had picked her up, one arm supporting her back and the other under the backs of her knees. Without a word he took her out of the lab and into the rest of the building.

Kani's excitement shone. She was happy her friend was sweet enough to go as far as carrying her where she needed to go. When they reached someone, she would explain what she knew. Her hair and eye colors, her lack of physical femininity, the whole incident that led to another person living in her head, why Pyro had to carry her, and Kat spoke to everyone to confirm this sci-fiesque situation. Having observed the mercs' personalities, Kat chose his words in a way that won over almost every one of them; save for Spy, who strictly maintained formalities. They had one more stop to make, which was the Sniper.

Kani's excitement turned to nervousness. The last time she saw him, if she didn't count morning routines, was their date. How would he react, she wondered. As she and her tireless carrier neared where he mentioned the Sniper was at, she told him she was good and able to walk by now. It was only slightly true at best, as she still swayed a bit as he let her down. But she promised she'd be okay, so he let her go.

Apparently, he'd been hanging by himself in his personal truck he already spent a great deal of time in anyway. Kani played out best and worst-case scenarios in her head before knocking on the back door of the camper. A concise "Git lost!" sounded from the inside. Kani jumped back, and responded, both relieved and disappointed, with an apology and a "maybe later then." As she began walking away, the door clicked its lock and opened.

"Aw I'm sorry love, thought you were some other bloke. What brings you 'ere?" He sat down on the edge of the open door.

Kani turned around. "Oh, well I um, I wanted to tell you something." As she watched him, simply sitting with a faint smile looking back at her, her cheeks flushed. It remained true some of her teammates were very appealing and made her a bit nervous to be around or speak to; but there was something else about this calm, distant Aussie, something that kept him on her mind.

"Well, see, I have this brother-" **"Who does not like you." **She quickly covered her mouth. "Bugger me, I've 'eared that voice before. What's this about then?" His smile faded.

She looked down and whispered, "Kat what's your problem? What'd he ever do to you? Be nice!" Footsteps quietly smothered grass as the Sniper approached her.

"**He's annoying, sis. And rude, and antisocial, and weird. Do you know what he keeps in those jars of his? You could have picked Engineer or something, he's both nice and intelligent." **"But Snipey's been nice to me, too. What am I saying, I'm supposed to introduce you, not argue about my taste in men." **"Well, the deed is done, let's leave."**

Sniper looked on, dumbfounded by the apparent conversation being held with what he thought was a single person until now. But he just shrugged it off, chalking it up as an experience from being a mercenary. Before she had the chance to turn and leave, he held an arm around her. "Well it looks like we're in a bit of a pinch, aren't we? Listen mate, it looks like your, er, sis has taken a shine to me. And very honestly, I'm shinin' right back. What say you give it a chance, yeah?"

Kani's expression turned cold. **"Fine. I'm holding you responsible for any and all problems this causes." **Her face then flushed again as she processed her taller teammate's words. Sniper began, "Right on, mate! Kaninchen, was it, doc said? Hope you'll not be makin' it a habit of changin' your name. Looks like you'n me'll be ditchin' the distance, eh? What say we chat for a bit?" He held her head in place by her chin and planted a peck on her cheek before making way back to the open door of his camper, beckoning her with an arm wave.

"**Later, bushman. We've got things to do first." **Without allowing Kani to speak, he made her leave. Anything Sniper called out was blocked with Kat's own words. **"Kani, I didn't just say that, we really should shower. We haven't since the day before the mission. I hate a not-clean feeling." **His tone suggested a hint of humor. She brushed her fingers through her hair, and concurred as it had a thick, oily texture to it. "I guess you're right."

She made her way to Medic's lab, which held the shower she'd always use. She went in and began her shower, without closing the door. No one was around, and she didn't close it often anyway. While washing her hair, she had a conversation with Katze about Sniper. He seemed cold as ever towards him, and she convinced him to be just a bit nicer. Kani heard some commotion and yelling from the other room. The guys must be having game night tonight. She ran her hands across her chest, as she often would while alone. "I wonder what it's like to have breasts." **"Probably inconvenient as hell." **"Yeah, probably." They both laughed.

She finished a moment later and stepped out. As she dried herself off with her favorite red, slightly torn towel, a crash sounded from just outside the door. As she jolted to see what had happened, a white, furry blur darted out the room and down the hall. **"Kani, that was a wolf!" **"A wolf? I've never seen one this close! I gotta catch it!" **"Okay but- hold on wait!"**

She tossed her towel on the counter and tailed the beast. Sometimes, she would have friendly yet highly competitive races with Scout. She never won, but the exercise made her quick enough to keep up with her target. She exhaustively trailed it down halls, around corners, through open doors, surprised not to run into anyone else along the way. Eventually, the canine took a wrong turn and found itself cornered.

Kani panted. "What do I do now? He's cute, but he looks mean..." **"Hopefully it doesn't have a good memory. Get down. Show it you're not the threat it thinks you are." **"What makes you think that'll work? Why don't I just grab it!" **"I actually payed attention when papa taught about wild animals. Just do it."**

She sighed and knelt down, holding out her hand to the creature. She spoke softly, following Katze's instruction. It only growled back at her. "Well that didn't work, what now?" **"Hm... get on your back. A bare stomach is the ultimate show of trust. Submission, perhaps, but trust nonetheless."**

She slowly moved onto her back, waving at the hostile beast. It stopped growling, and approached her cautiously. As it reached her, it sniffed her extended hand. She very carefully reached further, petting its muzzle. When no attacks followed, she managed her hand over its head and behind its ears. **"This thing is too big to be a pup, but not big enough to look grown. How'd it get in here?" **Kani sat up and continued petting it as it became more at ease. Eventually she just sat on the hard floor, holding it in her arms and petting its belly.

"I don't really care how it got here. This little guy is the cutest thing I've ever seen. I'm going to ask vati if we can keep it." She decided to keep petting it for a while before going back. Just then a stampede of footsteps made their way to their location, followed by a very distinct, "Giddyup, fellas, I saw it down this way!"

"**Shit, shit! Kani!" **Kat's voice whispered. "What?" she replied, sounding almost annoyed. **"Damn it, I told you to wait! You didn't even put your clothes on yet!"**


End file.
